My Bloody Valentine "Loveless" (1991)

Scottish group My Bloody Valentine are a Shoegazing band who have been cited a major influence and pioneers of the genre which gets its name from the literal observation of gazing at ones shoes, a characteristic of the guitarists in the genre who would stare at their feet when playing. Having recently enjoyed some Shoegazing influences I felt compelled to check this album out after enjoying the opening and single track "Only Shallow".

The group have a low fidelity aesthetic, grungy guitars muddy there way through a wall of fuzzy distortion that consumes and blurs much of the instrumentation around them. Some strummed clean chords are slightly audible and the drumming is lost and buried under much of this hazy fuzz. The vocals the most captivating element, providing a gentle melody and relation through the noise of the guitars. With all that said the production and mixing is very inconsistent from track to track, with the opening drums having a clear and crisp yet slightly narrow sound to them, then in the next couple of tracks they are buried. The guitars also utilize the tremolo bar, distorting chords and pitch shifting them, giving them a sound like the audio had been recorded to old tape and stretched. Interesting at first, but becoming somewhat dull as the album progressed.

This album was a disappointment. Beyond the promise of the opening track the music failed to evoke much emotional response from me. The ideas and aesthetics from the opening track were quickly dulled as track after track meandered through low fidelity noise that didn't offer much in terms of imagination or progression. I understand and appreciate the influence a record like this can have, the experimentation with fidelity and aesthetics is interesting and captivating, however there was an apparent lack of substance behind these ideas as each song drifted by with no remarkable moments or much to talk about. 

Favorite Tracks: Only Shallow, When You Sleep

Rating: 4/10

Alcest "Les Voyages De L'Âme" (2012)

"Les Voyages De L'Âme" is Alcests third album, a French band who bring Shoegazing, Black Metal & Post-Metal together to create dreamy, sombre music with captivating melodic leads and rich atmospheres that sing to the soul. Despite some moody tones this is feel good music, upbeat and expressive in a positive way. This record finds the band striking great balance between the harsh and gentle elements of their sound as the 8 songs carry you on a self absorbed journey through their immersible music.

Their sound is epic, soaring, both gentle and strong. The tremolo riffing brings pace and progression as these songs that race forward in such a calm manor. This is reflected in the contrast between the hazy distorted rhythm guitars and gorgeous melodic clean guitar. The reverb from these instruments melds together creating glorious atmospheres that are lifted up by the presence of some distant but beautiful and sombre vocal leads, creating awe inspiring moments, for example the climax of "Beings Of Light".

These songs are crafted with care, the progressions and structures are strong, from start to end there isn't a dull moment and each of the songs bring a different flavor to this colorful sound. From track to track there are different degrees of which sound the song leans to, with some drawing closer to the darker Black Metal, and others the cleaner, melodic side, but all sounding true to the artistic vision. With a beautiful immersible sound Alcest have delivered an expressive work of high quality that never feels dull, and always captivates the emotions of the listener.

Favorite Tracks: Autre Temps, Nous Sommes L'emeraude, Beings Of Light, Summer's Glory

Rating: 7/10